A joyous end of life story Award winning feature documentary Laura's Choice
Award winning feature documentary Laura's Choice tells the story of an eccentric, outspoken and feisty 90-year-old, Laura Henkel, who decides she wants to end her life on her own terms.
First published on ECU
Several words one wouldn't think of putting together in a sentence… 'end of life' as a 'choice' and a 'joyous' one? But here it is – just as film makers intended, the film is now available for free viewing worldwide.
When Laura made her choice to die on her own terms, she asked her daughter Cathy Henkel and granddaughter Sam, both filmmakers, to document her journey.
ECU's Associate Professor Cathy Henkel is the Director of the WA Screen Academy and Course Coordinator of Master of Screen Studies at the School of Arts and Humanities. She is also Laura's daughter, and Sam's mother.
ECU’s Director of the WA Screen Academy Associate Professor Cathy Henkel, her daughter co-filmmaker Sam Lara with Laura.
The feature documentary was supported by ECU and explores complex questions as three generations of women navigate a radical approach to dying. The film aims to start those conversations, as well as helping prepare families who will soon experience an assisted voluntary death.
"We wanted the film be as accessible as possible to those who need it most – people interested in understanding end of life choices, and those wanting to have difficult conversations with their loved ones," said Cathy.
"Laura's Choice premiered on ABC in 2021 – but it wasn't until last month that we were able to extract it from the distributor and release it on YouTube, which is the most accessible viewing platform in the world, free for all viewers, wherever they live.
Cathy and Sam hope that by sharing Laura's story like this they will open up conversations and affect the kind of change Laura so passionately wanted.
I feel I have had enough and am quite ready to go. I do not want to wait for some debilitating disease to carry me away - and going into an aged care facility to endure pain and suffering to the bitter end is not a future I choose for myself. My choice allows me to say farewell joyfully and then go to sleep in peaceful surroundings, with my loved ones beside me," said Laura of her choice.
The film had its international premiere at Doc Edge International Film Festival in New Zealand, winning the Fearless Award. It also won Best Feature Documentary at the WA Screen Culture Awards, was nominated for an Australian Directors Guild award, AIDC Best Documentary Factual Series and SPA Feature Documentary Production of the Year. It was included in The Guardian's 10 Best Australian TV Shows of 2021.
Laura's Choice is a Virgo Productions Pty Ltd film produced in collaboration with Factor 30 Films, and supported by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Screenwest and Lotterywest with additional support from Edith Cowan University.
You can find out more about the making of this beautiful documentary and the filmmakers, Laura’s daughter Cathy and granddaughter, Sam at www.lauraschoice.org
The film is now available for viewing worldwide on the True Story Documentary Channel on YouTube.
Australian viewers can also watch Laura's Choice on ABC iview.
Associate Professor Henkel has worked as a documentary producer/director and writer for over 30 years and is founding director of Virgo Productions. Her work is focused on inspiring, positive, global stories with cross-platform delivery, engaging audiences through cinema, television, online and education platforms.
Cathy's credits include The Burning Season (ABC, BBC, CBC, PBS, National Geographic, IF Award for Best Documentary 2008, nominated for an Emmy), I told you I was ill: Spike Milligan (ABC, BBC1, RTE) and The Man who Stole my Mother's Face (Broadcast in 26 countries, IF Award and Tribeca Film Festival Award for Best Feature Documentary 2004). She has won numerous other awards including SPA Documentary Producer of the Year (2009), an ACS Award, an Emmy, AFI, ADG and SPA nominations. In 2023 Cathy received the Stanley Hawes Lifetime Achievement award for her contribution to the documentary sector.
Cathy is currently the Director of the WA Screen Academy at ECU and teaches documentary production class – if you fancy a career in screen production, come learn from the experts.
